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Cross-border anger over solar farm

An artist's impression of what Australia's biggest solar farm, to be built on a farm near the border of the Australian Capital Territory and New South Wales, just south of Canberra, could look like.

Residents from Royalla, in south-east New South Wales, are disappointed they weren't consulted about plans to build the nation's largest solar farm across the border on a property in the ACT.

The ACT Environment and Sustainable Development Minister, Simon Corbell, used his special "call in" powers to approve the development application to build the 20-megawatt solar farm on land next to the Monaro Highway.

Royalla landholder Peter Bignell says he's not against renewable energy, but he's concerned that the solar farm will be an eyesore and a safety hazard.

"What we'll see, instead of a rural hillside is a big, black mass," he said.

"The panels are about six metres long, two point something metres high, and there's 83,000 of them.

"We have had fatal accidents in this stretch of the Monaro Highway and so having that big site development there, we think, is a major issue."

The ACT Government says the Royalla solar farm would contribute to a reduction of around 560,000 tonnes of carbon emissions over 20 years and power about 4,400 Canberra homes.

Conditions must be met before construction can begin, including meeting all environmental approvals.

An independent assessment has found the solar farm will have a low to moderate visual impact for some homes, but there'll be extra tree plantings to partly screen the development.

The company has issued a statement saying it doesn't consider the project a safety risk, that it's consulted with residents and will continue to do so over the life of the project.

It says solar farms are critical for governments to meet policies on reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

According to FRV, the owner of the property where the solar farm will be built will be compensated financially for the use of his land, the project will use less than 10 per cent of the farm and the owner intends to continue living and farming the property as he currently does.

The farmer who owns the land wasn't available for comment.

Fotowatio Renewable Ventures is also developing the Moree Solar Farm in north-west New South Wales in a joint venture with Pacific Hydro.